Mounting wall plates



March 24, 1931. H BUCHSBAUM 1,797,635

MOUNTING WALL PLATES Filed Jan. 4, 1929 Patented Mar. 24, 1931 HERBERTBUCHSBAUIVI,

PATENT OFFICE OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MOUNTING WALL PLATES Application ledJanuary 4, 1929. Serial No. 330,329.

My invention relates to the mounting of wall plates or covers forelectric outlets of wall switch boxes and the like and has for.itsprincipal object the provision of a novel mounting whereby a decorativecover plate for such outlets or boxes may be readily attached ordetached without danger of marring or in any way detracting from theappearance of the decorated plate.

More particularly it is the objectof this invention to provideadecorative cover plate for switch boxes and the like that may beattached to the switch boxes in such a manner as to present no screws orother unsightly attaching means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds in connect-ion with the accompanying drawings.However, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not intend tolimit myself to the exact details shown and described, but that I intendto avail myself of all such modifications as would occur to one skilledin this art and as fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view showing the decorative wall plate mounted inposition on a switch box; 3c Fig. 2 is a view of the back side of thedecorative plate and the attaching member or plate as they appear whendetached from the wall box; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 e.: of Fig. 2 illustratingthe cover plate as mounted upon a switch box.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a wallhaving mounted therein the switch box 6 which is secured in the usualmanner as by means of the screws 7 and 8 and which has projectingoutwardly therefrom the switch lever 9. The cover plate constructionconsists of an inner member 10 and the outer decorative plate 11 which imay be suitably decorated to conform to the color scheme of the room inwhich it is placed. The inner member 10 consists of a plate having theside edges 12 and 13 offset or turned inwardly so as to aid in spacingthe device from the wall and which has at 14 an aperture of sujthcientsize to admit the switch lever 9.

The plate 10 is also cut away at 15 and 16 to provide guide members at17 18, 19, and 20, the purpose of which will presently appear. At theremote ends of the cut away 55 portions 15 and 1G and spaced slightlytherefrom, the plate has struck out flanges 21 and 22 which flanges areadapted to bear against the switch box v6 as shown clearly in Fig. 3 tomaintain the proper spacing of the main body of the plate 10 from theswitch-box. Suitable screws 23 and 24 serve to permanent-l ly fix theplate 10 in position. Between the apertures 15 andy 16 and the struckout flanges 21 and 22 there is left the small bars of material 25 andy26 which, owing to their thinness will have a certain amount offlexibility.

The decorative plate 11 has in the center thereof an aperture 27 throughwhich the switch lever 9 may project, and, in forming this aperture, thematerial of the plate 11 is bent to the interior of the plate as shownat 28 and 29, and then again bent as at 30 and 31 so that the free endsof the strips 28 and v29 rest against they plate 11, and are bentslightly toward each other for a purpose which will be hereinafter morefully explained. The outer rim of the plate 11 is offset as indicated at32 so as to rest against the wall in which the box is located and make airm contact therewith.

Now, when the cover plate is to be mounted in position, the member 10 isfirst attached by means of the screws 23 and 24 to the switch box, andthen the plate 11 is pressed toward the switch box with the strips 28and 29 f1tting between the guide members 17, 18, 19, and 20 and the ends30 and 31 engaging with the bars 25 and 26. These bars having a slightresiliency, will give a sufficient amount to permit the ends and 31 toslide therebetween and thereafter close in against these ends so as toclamp the plate 11 in position. Thus it will be seen that the decorativeplate has nothing on the exterior thereof to detract from itsappearance, and yet it is held lirmly in position to cover the switchbox, and cannot move laterally or vertically.

If it is desired to change the decorative scheme of the room, theseplates may be readily removed by insertion oit' a tool through theswitch lever aperture and pulling outwardly upon the plate ll.

This plate ll is preferably provided on the exterior thereof with aluminous indicator at 33 so as to make the switch visible in the dark asWell as by day light.

One cf the marked advantage-S of this structure lies in its simplicityand the few parts necessary to produce the desired result. Thus theentire securing structure involves only the two plates and the screwsfor securing the inner plate. This makes it po"- sible to produce thedevices at a low cost and also avoids difficulties in assembling them asthere. is nothing to get lost or out of orderv nshppw 13mm the abovedesert-phen, 1t 1S thought that the construction and advantages of thisY device will ybe clear to those skilled invthis art; gand, havingthusdescribed my invention,

what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: j Y

l. A cover mounting fora wall switch box and the like comprising a hasevplate having means for permanently securing the saineV overl the saidbox, anda decorative plate having an outer edge adapted to rest upon thewall, said decorative plate covering said base plate, and cooperatingmeanson said plates covered by said decorative plate for detachably`holding said decorative plate in position, said last namedmeansincluding a pair of members on the decorative plates extend-` ingthru thebase plate, said members lbeing struck ,up from the material ofsaid decorative plate to provide a switch lever aperture therein. j

2. A cover mounting for wall switch Yboxes and the like comprising a.member having means for permanently fixing the same on aV switch box,said member having spacing means for spacing it from said box, andhaving an aperture therein through .which Vthe switch operating leverprojects, a ,decorative plate having a switchleveraperture thereinitting over said member and having means projecting through theaperturein said memberand frictionally engaging certain edges of vsaidmember at said aperture to .detach-` ably hold said plate in position`3. A cover mounting for wall switch boxes and the like comprising amember having means for vpermanently fixing the same on'a switch box,said. member having spacing means for spacingv it from said box, andhav.. ing an aperture therein through lwhich the switch operating leverprojects, a decorative plate having a switchv lever aperture thereinfitting over said member and having means projecting through theaperturein said member and rictionally eng-agingfcertai'n,edges of said memberat said'aperture toV detachn ably hold said Aplate in position, said'last named means comprising strips struck up from said plate to formthe switch lever aperture, and bent vback against said plate.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day ot Dec.A. D. 1928. HERBERT BUCHSBAUM.

